


Lift Me Up

by RooftopRush



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Aged up characters, Aged-Up Jamie Bennett (Rise of the Guardians), Alternate Universe - College/University, Crying, Drunken Confessions, Lots of emotions and soft boys, M/M, Not Beta Read, im sorry and i tried my best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22024075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RooftopRush/pseuds/RooftopRush
Summary: Wherein Jamie is visibly uncomfortable at this party and Jack is determined to show him a good time, even if he's too drunk to move.For winterswrathe for a secret santa!
Relationships: Jamie Bennett & Jack Frost, Jamie Bennett/Jack Frost
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	Lift Me Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [winterswrathe](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=winterswrathe).



> Song from Oliver Heldens x Firebeatz & Schella - Lift Me Up (feat. Carla Monroe)

  
For as long as Jamie Bennett could remember, there was something otherworldly about Jack Frost. Be it his graceful movements or his natural confidence, ever since they were kids, Jamie had swore Jack was something else.

An Alien? A spirit? An Immortal from another realm? A combination of the three? Jamie had never quite been able to put his finger on it, but he was leaning towards Alien. What else could explain away how weirdly cold Jack always was, despite his high energy? He ate so little and ran so much-- Where did it come from? Where did he get it? It didn't make sense! And what about his white hair? You just don’t go gray at eighteen for no reason. And Jack didn’t have any PTSD- At least none Jamie was aware of.

But perhaps the biggest mystery of all was Jack’s effortless confidence in himself. In moments of clarity where he could veer towards the edge of his conspiracy goggles and glimpse reality that lay beyond them, Jamie knew a lot of it came from that. That any kid his age had that much confidence in themselves and got away with so much-- That was the real mystery.

And Alien or not, of one thing Jamie could be absolutely sure of; He was absolutely, inexplicably, in love with him.

He had long since abandoned his efforts of trying to figure out whether or not he’d been ensnared in a love beam or lured into a spell; Jack was too kind and caring to trick anyone maliciously like that anyways. In the end, it didn’t matter what he did or how many spell-breaks or curse-cures he tried; Jamie had accepted his fate. And looking back, he’s not sure it was ever avoidable.

Ever excitable, spontaneous, athletic and fun, Jack had always garnered the awe and attention of those around him. Jamie however, had struggled quite a bit growing up.

It wasn’t that he didn’t think he had any good qualities-- But he was what they call “Fresh meat” for much of his school life. Always on the ganglier, smaller side pre-puberty, he was easy pickings for their local bully population. The nerdier and more outspoken of it he became, the more bullies he drew.

He had had his own friends, but most of them strayed away from him for fear that they too, would be bullied. He beliefs in everything from Mothman to the Easter Bunny making him the laughing stock of the school.

Jack was one of the few people who stuck by him through it all, until his bully's became fans, and his fans became his club members. Now, years later in college, the Lore Seekers were a thriving club that Jamie speared-headed as the club president-- Or Master of Myth, as they knew him.-- And it included everything from weekly DND nights, sightings and stake outs, to field trips to local haunted sites for EVP recordings and observations.

He had somehow skyrocketed up in popularity that didn’t just rival, but bested the popularity Jack had from highschool.

So to say that Jamie was over his crush would be a lie of the greatest hilarity. And with crushes came awkwardness, hesitancy, and so many fucking feelings that Jamie simply didn’t know how to handle. So much so that there had been a point between them where Jamie had just.. Disappeared for a while. Unable to really handle interaction with Jack due to how overwhelmingly hot he’d been for him at the time, and in doing so, causing nearly a year-long gap in their relationship.

Jamie had rarely seen Jack sad, but when he eventually worked up the courage to hang out with him again, Jack had cried. Eventually confessing that he thought he had done something wrong-- And Jamie still felt guilty about it to this day, making him feel like that.

Which is why he was determined not to ruin it now, by letting Jack know how he felt.

“Dude, you ever thought about like... Fuckin’?”

But that was becoming more difficult by the second.

“Uh,” Jamie coughed violently into his fist, promptly sending Jack into a laughing fit that tied Jamie’s stomach into butterfly-ridden knots. Partially from being able to listen to his laughter, partially from the fact that Yes, Yes He Had. Far, far too much.

Too much eagerness to rekindling their friendship had eventually lead Jamie and Jack to the same frat party, where Jack was now proving to the world he could handle exactly four beers and not an ounce more.

They were slouched on the same couch together, watching people dance and mingle between fluorescent party lights, getting buzzed off cheap booze and trying to keep track of the time-- Or at least Jamie was. Parties were Jacks thing, not Jamie’s, and by the looks of it, he was going to be their DD tonight.

“You should- You should’ve seen ‘yur face!” Jack cackle-snorted into his hoodie. “Got you!”

“Heh, sure did.” Jamie gave him a patient smile, and sipped some of his water before handing it to Jack, who gave it an offended pout, before reluctantly drinking from it as well.

“You ‘dun wanna drink anymore?” Jack slurred, proceeded to slump his form a little more than close to Jamie's. Icy blue eyes intently boring into his own, breath skating across his cheek and making Jamies own flush from contact.

The way he said it made it sound almost disappointed. “Um. No- I mean, yes but someones gotta drive us home tonight, right?” He tried, and in response, Jack rolled his eyes like Jamie were one of their strict over-bearing teachers and plopped his head down onto his shoulder with a pout. “Lame.”

“Not as as lame as a car accident.”

“Trueee…” Jack sighed. “But I didn’t bring you here to be my cab driver.” He shifted a bit on the couch, getting much too comfortable laying against Jamie’s side. And though he could’ve pulled away, Jamie decidedly stayed put.

“You didn’t?” Jamie joked, and got an elbow to the ribs for his trouble. “Ow! Ahaha,”

“I mean it.” Jack fixed Jamie with a serious look, momentary silencing him as Jack plopped back down onto a pillow. Idly rubbing the corner of it between thumb and forefinger as his expression twisted. “I didn’t want you to come so you could babysit me, or make sure I didn’t do too many kegstands. I.. I missed you, man.”

Whatever loosening of the knot that Jamie had been graced with suddenly returned full force then, tightening inexplicably in his stomach. Jack wouldn’t even lift his head to look at him. Instead sitting there with a brooding look that dug into the carpet.

The alcohol had undone something in him-- Jack didn’t usually let people see him like this. Whatever Jack usually covered up had been covering Jamie too, and unlike Jack, Jamie was bereft of his own confidence to state his feelings so vulnerably.

“I- I missed you too.” Jamie said, spilling his feelings like they had been pushed out by an unknown force. Clumsy in the air between them.

That at least, seemed to get Jacks head to raise back up to him. But the expression that greeted Jamie was a torrid mix of too much to read at once. “We don’t haf’ta stay here if you don’t wanna.” Jack said, standing up suddenly and wobbling like he was going to fall over again-- so Jamie rushed up to steady him, hands on his shoulders, but Jack did not fall.

“C’mon, let’s go.” And while the determination and the grip on his wrist was impressive, Jack’s idea of “going somewhere else” was not, as it was quite apparent within the first five minutes that booze had robbed him of his sense of direction.

They circled the house about twice inside and out before Jack stopped in the middle of the living room and squinted at the air. “I think we’re lost.”

And then it was Jamie’s turn to laugh, keeling over and trying not to spill his water. “We didn’t go anywhere!”

“What!” Jack sneered. “I’ve never seen this place before in my LIFE.”

“Dude, stop. I can’t breathe-”

“I’ll can’t YOUR breathe! C’mon!” And the laughter that overtook Jamie at Jacks broken english wasn’t very great for turning away stubborn drunken frosts’ determined to find better places for their nerdy friends to enjoy.

Jack seemed happy to stumble up and down the staircase until he dragged a giggling Jamie into a vacant bedroom, illuminated only by the light of a lava lamp and a wide flat computer monitor. Were they even supposed to be up here? Jamie quickly racked his brain trying to think of who’s house this even was to begin with-- Only to immediately get shoved onto the bed from behind.

“Ahaha, hey!” He laughed, face planting into a neatly made queen.

Jack clicked the door shut behind him softly. “Shh… you hear that?” He whispered, eyes darting around.

“Hear what?”

“Nothing. It’s quiet now. You can’t hear anything, right?”

“Well, actually I can still sorta hear the music and--”

“You hear nothing.”

Jamie snorted. “I hear nothing.”

“You are introvert in dire need of alternative space, and have officially been rescued. You are now saved. I have saved you.”

“You didn’t save shit-”

“Shhhh…” Jack whispered again. Jamie couldn’t wipe the dumb smile of amusement off of his face if he wanted to. “You’re recharging. Rechaaaaargeeee…” He spoke softly, as if he were trying to preserve the quiet environment for him-- Only to ruin it by taking a running leap into the bed, and landing with a crash and what Jamie was pretty was the sound of a spring breaking.

“Shit.”

“Wasn’t me.” Jack smirked, and Jamie took a pillow and whapped him in the face with it. Making a nice satisfying POOMF sound as it went. Which of course caused another pillow to go flying, and one short pillowfight later found them both right where they started-- Laying against each other, waiting for the alcohol to fade, but much less crowded and much more silent.

Jamie was glad for Jack’s presence finally breaking it when it got too quiet.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked into the silence. “We could’ve done something else y’know.”

“Oh, are you actually sober now?” Jamie teased.

“Not the point.”

In hindsight, maybe he had had more drink than he’d thought, because Jamie doesn’t at all intend to be as honest as he is when he says, “Anywhere is fun when I’m with you.”

And it’s as if the words carry not just him, but Jack away too. Their eyes lock for a moment, before Jamie breaks it off in realization.

He’s tempted to turn over. To walk out of the room right there rather than let it swallow him whole. His heart beat is loud and overwhelming in his chest, but just before his thoughts threaten to take him-- There's a familiar cold palm settling on his side.

“You have no right.” He mumbles, “No right to make me feel like this…” And Jamie thinks Jack is maybe not as sober as he claims to be.

“You can’t just say that.” He says, and his voice is softer, but it’s also becoming hoarse? “You can’t just leave and come back and say that.” The shape of his mouth draws downwards, the sound of his voice rasping, warbling-- And Jamie realizes too late what’s happening when a tear rolls down Jack’s cheek.

No, definitely no where near sober.

“I’m sorry.” Jamie says, and reaches out with a hand to wipe it away with a need he doesn’t understand until it’s hitting him. “I guess I didn’t think you’d miss me.”

Jack grabs the offered hand and holds it close. “Of course I did!” His lip wibbles. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know! Because you’re you! You’re cool, and fun, and everyone likes you and you can do anything!! You’ve never needed me as long as I’ve known you.”

Jacks brow furrow for a moment. “And you’re not?” He asks, and Jamie's mind goes completely still. Wholly unprepared to have his loaded accusations thrown right back at him.

“You’re not a utility, Jamie. You’re my friend. There are so many different kinds of people in the world, and yeah, I could make new friends. But none of them would be you.” Jack squeezes his hand, and more tears fall from his white lashes. Barely holding in the dew pooling up between them.

“None of them have our history. None of them took me ice skating for my birthday. None of them know how to read me, or how to make a cool club about cryptids, or be there when I need them to be.” He sniffs, and Jamie feels his heart crack right open on Jacks words. “None of them are you, Jamie. And you don’t realize it, but thats a huge deal.”

Jack wipes a little at his face with his other hand, holding Jamie's heart captive on every pause and every word he rasps out. “Maybe I did a lot for you, but you did a lot for me just by being in my life. No one listens or cares or believes in people as much as you do. And certainly not in me.” _Sniff._

“Jack…” He doesn’t know what hes gearing up to say, but Jacks emotion is infectious. And Jamie can feel his smile warbling and his eyes warming with his own tears as well.

Jack seems to get the message nonetheless, because the smile he shows him is all the push Jamie needs-- Lifting forward with courage he doesn’t know he has and kissing him. Lips shy and tentative over Jacks, nearly pulling back before Jack is returning it-- Not giving him any room to regret it.

Its a chaste, sweet thing that seems to last forever, until Jamie feels Jack relax under him in a way that seems a little bit too.. Still? He pulls back, scared Jack might be disgusted, averse-- But any such thought is stopped when he finds the other boy slack asleep. Eyes closed and breathing even, tear tracks shiny on his light skin.

Relief sweeps through Jamie in equal parts endearment and adrenaline, and he supposes they could nap here for an hour or two before going home. So he leans over and pecks Jack on the forehead, before pulling a blanket up over them both and settling in beside him.

They’ve got one hell of a talk in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> I dont have much to say except for comment if you liked it so I know to write more. <3
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Edit: please dont ever participate in rotgsecretsanta the coming years forward. I never got my secret santa in return, and the mods wouldn't even have the decency to tell me it wasn't happening. The moderators left me hanging asking about who and where my secret santa was for months after the event. i don't regret writing this as a gift for someone else, so im keeping it up, but this ultimately a pretty sad experience for me, and I don't want anyone else to experience it either.


End file.
